47

They got married 47 years today. That’s a long time to be happy. Sharing the adventure of life with the person you care about most in it. Going places, building things together, you name it.

Heading to Saint Simons and Hilton Head Islands for the anniversary, somewhat mirroring their honeymoon going down the coast. Finally both now fully retired and in the clubhouse. After lifetimes of living frugally and investing for the future, they are settling in for what he refers to as “the duration”. Which is always followed by her rolling her eyes. They mess with each other like that. She’s always young at heart, and he always enjoys joking with her when he sees a nice nursing home.

They’ll never have grandkids. Amazing that they’re more fine with that that you are. They’re fine with anything when it comes to you being happy. And since you have made peace with that so have they. Kindness the likes of which few deserve. She even told you that she thought about buying a necklace for Crow because she knew she would like it. Beads and something white in the front you’re glad you forgot..

There’s a lot of things you’re not going to have. A 47th anniversary is one of them. And the strange thing is that’s fine. They deserve that; you don’t. And there’s actually nothing wrong with that.

Because they were once your age with a 13-year-old son and they didn’t deserve it then either. That’s got to be earned. Earned with love, Sharing the adventure of life, hard work, and as both of them would say: each giving 90%. Sounds crazy but it works. Neither one of them settled.

You don’t need to have 47 years. You don’t need to have children. When it comes to finding the one that’s meant for you, you just need God. You see His light shining through them. Just two kind, sweet, ridiculously simple people – who would see ‘simple’ as a complement.

Life is an adventure if you have the right partner in your life. They even used to move every seven years or so. As he earned more he could give her nicer places. But they would’ve moved regardless. Just fun mixing stuff upon occasion. And why not?

Why not live a life of optimism? Joy? Adventure? Even if the adventure is going to the other side of town to look at houses under construction if you’re both into that?

Why not? A really good question to ask a lot more often than you do. 🤔

Sure a heck of a lot better than the alternative.